A Forty Year Discovery

 Letting Go


I turned 40 last week. 

Getting older has never really bothered me. In fact, from a young age I’ve always wished to be older. 


“I wish I could drive myself.” I said, aged fifteen, to my mum who was driving me to an athletics class. “Don’t wish your life away” she responded. 


“I wish these next four months were four weeks instead” was the thought I had when touring and feeling really depressed because I was struggling to do my job and needed vocal rest.


“You’re gonna come into your own in seven years” was the advice I was given by the late Jay Binder who was an incredibly supportive casting director and friend. I was thirty at the time, willing myself to look older so I could play the mature roles I wanted to play. 


There are plenty more examples I could give of me wanting to be older.


But last week, a couple of nights before my birthday, I woke from my sleep and really considered what it meant to no longer have a 3 at the beginning of my age.


I’m FORTY! 4-0!!! 


I am the youngest of four children which means that my sister, who is the eldest, will be 50 in a couple of years.


I remember us as teenagers and often still feel the same way inside. But the truth is that my entire family is getting older. We’re ALL getting older and the biggest realization I’ve had this week is this……. The future is coming for us regardless of what we do, so why not just live today and when the future eventually arrives, you’ll live that day then. 


It’s smart to plan and prepare for things and very often necessary to just make sure you're okay in life but make sure that in the midst of anticipating the future, you actually live TODAY!!!

To do that we need to let go of the stuff that doesn’t matter. Let the small things in life be small. I’m choosing to focus on Health. Family. Friends. Art and Joy.


My wish for each of you is to feel content and to feel fulfilled. You are a gift to this world, exactly as you are, right here today. Don’t ever forget that. 


Keep up the great work


Mark :)


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